Sergei Dankvert, head of Russia’s Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service, stated that Russia was able to slow the spread of swine flu significantly by banning meat products from countries with the highest numbers of swine flu cases.

Mr. Dankvert explained, “Meat preserves the flu virus. If an infected person ... sneezes on a steak, the virus will survive all the way to Russia… Raw steaks and barbecue pork may (thus) be dangerous.” To date, Russia has had no swine flu deaths and just 187 officially counted cases across a population of 142 million people.

Gregory Gray, MD, professor of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa in the US, affirmed that people with occupational exposure to pigs are more likely to have been exposed to the swine flu virus.

Dr. Gregory Gray (M): Statistically, some of the swine workers had the evidence of elevated antibody against swine viruses that was about 50 times higher than the university people that did not have exposure to pigs. So, it’s relatively strong evidence that those swine workers, that their immune system had seen pig viruses before.

VOICE: In a 24-hour period, global fatalities due to swine flu jumped from 2,851 to 2,873. Health officials have ceased tallying reported cases from the some 180 infected countries as they have found it nearly impossible to track all those who are falling ill.

France reported 4,500 new cases in the preceding week, 1,500 more than had been predicted, while England and Scotland saw 8,300. Fatalities in the United Kingdom rose by 12 within one week to a total of 66.

In Formosa (Taiwan), two otherwise healthy people perished, one of whom showed resistance to the antiviral drug Tamiflu. Syria reported her first death, and South Korea reported her third. Three more succumbing to the virus have brought Saudi Arabia’s death toll to 19.

Meanwhile, Brazil is reporting a total of 584 deaths, the highest for any country in the world.We sorrow for the daily losses of our fellow humans due to this relentless pandemic.

Our thanks, Mr. Dankvert and Dr. Gray for your insights on curbing harm by avoiding meat production and products.